Licensing for selling dogs

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Is there any particular licencing one must have to sell puppies/dogs out of a business?

To complicate things for you- what if this business is NOT a pet store, and the selling of the puppies is not the primary venue? AND assume the business owner leases the property he's in?

For instance, Billy Bob leases space in a shopping center for a hardware store, and is selling puppies he either bred himself or bought to sell from his store.

Are there any laws regarding this? Would he need any sort of special licencing or zoning or something?

Where would I search to find this information if its a local matter? If there IS licensing involved, is any of that public record? Like could I get in touch with the BBB and find out if they do, in fact, have a licence?

I don't have the answer to your primary question, but as far as looking things up, a business does not have to be a member/registered with the BBB, so technically you would want to look things like that up through your state's government site -- this kind of info could be searchable depending on what state you're in... like New York State has a website for NYS Division of Corporations & State Records that is searchable.

You might want to contact The Puppy Mill Project- www.thepuppymillproject.org (sorry if dogster puts spaces in there). They are a group based out of Illinois. The people in the group are very knowledgeable about the legalities of selling/breeding puppies, even if it's not in a mill set up.

One place to start is with the landlord/property owner - assuming this fellow's renting space for this endeavor. You might find out if selling live animals is part of the lease agreement for that retail space.

You can also contact your attorney general to find out what, if any, licensing is needed for retail sales of pet animals.

I've actually spoken to the property manager of the shopping center where this is going on, and while he's told me no one is allowed to be selling animals out of the stores... nothing has ever been done about it, despite advertising being posted EVERYWHERE and me sending them photos of the dogs.

Pretty sure money is being slipped under the table, but that's just gossip.

It is my understanding that once you begin selling puppies you did not breed, you become an animal broker at which time licensing does in fact come into play.
I am pretty sure this falls under the department of agriculture. This is over and above any state or local licensing which may or may not be in place as well.

Whatever it is you're onto, Mulder, you should pmail Toto if you haven't. She knows everything or can find it out. Her and Jackal Jackson, who is a badarse and a cool lady also. Good luck, whatever it is.